Alex Kubo

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I joined the team at Burrow in 2016 while finishing up my MBA at Wharton alongside Burrow’s two cofounders. I’ve been leading Growth here for two years, and now run the Intelligence Team. I’m father (and resident drool towel) to my son, Kai, who just turned six months. We watch Manchester United matches together every weekend.

What 3 words best describe your parenting experience to date?

Exciting, Exhausting, Exhausting

What’s one of the hardest or most surprising things about being a parent that people wouldn’t expect or don’t usually talk about?

When Kai started sleeping through the night, I was relieved. But I soon realized that, as a working parent, the only time I’d now get to spend with him during the week would be a few minutes right when he wakes up and, if I’m lucky, a moment just before bed to kiss him goodnight. My wife sends me pictures throughout the day, but you can never really replicate the feeling of holding him.

What were some of your “wait...is this normal??” moments once you became a parent?

When we first brought Kai home, he sounded like a rabid goat when he slept on his back. That’s not an exaggeration. We slept (although I’m not sure you can classify it as sleep) with one eye open expecting him to somehow implode in his bassinet. It turned out to be a mix of common infant congestion and his respiratory system adjusting to life outside Mom. His breathing normalized after month three.

What’s one of your favorite parenting hacks that helps keep you sane (that other parents should know about and start doing ASAP)?

Remind yourself that baby humans have prospered for millennia without any of the endless (often conflicting) modern tools, techniques, and methods that saturate social media and guidebooks. You do not need to mimic mommy-bloggers, daddy-bloggers, nor celebrity parents – you do you. The one thing that has always and will always be needed is love, and that comes in an endless supply.